Thursday, 20 January 2011

Jack Torrance is a writer suffering from writer block so in an effort to remedy this he accepts a job as a caretaker at a hotel over the winter when the hotel is shut. The he is meant to be spending the next 6 months with his wife and son but there is a hidden past and some sinister goings on that put his writing plans to a holt. The Shining is a master piece of horror. Jack Nicholson's performance as the psychotic husband Jack Torrance and Shelley Duvall as the frantically fearful wife totally sell this film. Film 4 agree "Shelley Duvall contorts and screams up a stunning display of gruesome fear as Jack's terrified wife, Wendy. And Jack Nicholson's performance is, of course, unforgettably deranged." Traditionally horror film have a death toll attatched to them but cleverly this film manages to keep you feeling tense when for the most part there is no death toll.

There seems to be a very split opinion on The Shining, a review from Variety in 1979 makes a description of the main characters as "The crazier Nicholson gets, the more idiotic he looks. Shelley Duvall transforms the warm sympathetic wife of the book into a simpering, semi-retarded hysteric." Yet today it seems to be widely excepted as some of the best performances in cinema horror history.

By far one of David Lynch's strangest works and according to Time out "The Greatest Student Film Ever Made ". Eraserhead, Lynch's debut film takes the uncanny to another level. Every set, prop, and character of the film has been maticulasly made to give and uneasy feel. Harry spencer the main protaganist endures the entire film with look of worry that never lets up and his stance and walk give a performance of such a lack of confidence that it's impossible not to empythise with his character.

Fig 3.

There is very little dialogue in this film and what there is is so beautifully auckward, unnessesary pauses build such an uncomfortable feeling between the characters. The characters will act in a fashion making unnessesary noises or movements that help to enhance the uncanny feel of the film. The Times describe it as "The sound design, the ominous weirdness and the starkly beautiful photography." The cinematography in the film was beautifully executed to give such a sense of awkwardness.